CarPlay standalone carplay?

[archer75]

Unfortunately the head unit in my truck controls too many settings on the truck to be able to replace so that's not an option.
I'd really like just a standalone carplay device that I could just connect a USB cable to the stereo and it had the interface. Simple and problem solved. Would be nice if apple just released a carplay app and then i'd just mount an ipad mini and it would be great.

Are there any stand alone carplay devices out there? I know android auto just works as an app on phones and tablets now and i'm not opposed to using that. Has anyone permanently mounted an ipad or ipad mini to use in place of carplay? All I really want on it is apple music, pocketcasts and nav. I prefer to use Waze or google maps but apple maps is mostly fine too. Does anyone have experience with this? I would likely predownload all podcasts, music and maps when possible. It can connect and update to wifi in my driveway. I could use my phone as a hotspot for it if needed. Though not ideal.
Are there good apps that could fill the roll of carplay with an interface suitable for the car? I seem to recall seeing one.

 

[TehFalcon]

Why not just use an iPhone Plus or iPad Mini. CarPlay is useless if you are just going to mount the device standalone.

 

[archer75]

Why not just use an iPhone Plus or iPad Mini. CarPlay is useless if you are just going to mount the device standalone.

It's illegal here to use a phone while driving. At all. Even stopped at a light.
I'd also like a larger screen and apps better suited to driving. An iPad with carplay would be a stand alone device. Not useless at all. All carplay is is an interface for the car. Nothing more.

An ipad mini could work. Looks like you need the cellular version for GPS. Do you have to activate a data plan in order to use the GPS on it? I can pre-load maps or use my iphone as a hotspot. So I doubt a data plan is needed for it. I just don't want a data plan on the ipad. It also looks like there are 3rd party GPS receivers that could be connected to it via the lightning port such as bad elf. Would these work with apple or google maps or do you have to use their own custom app?

 

[BarracksSi]

Before I got a car with CarPlay, I was using only voice control for the phone. If necessary, I could go back to only using voice; CarPlay is nice, but not really required.

I'll admit, though, that specific things, like keeping awareness of nav directions, got easier when I got my Apple Watch in my pre-CarPlay days. "Which exit do I take again? *turn wrist* Ah, exit 23, okay..." But as Siri improved, even back then, I got more comfortable with leaving my phone upside-down in the cupholder, out of my sight.

I think CarPlay is more beneficial for the passenger, really. It's easy for my wife to browse music or check the map for traffic, and it's nicer with the bigger screen than a phone can offer. But as a driver, I'd be fine with only audio cues and no extra display.

ALL THAT BEING SAID...

It looks like there are tablet-based devices out there which can do CarPlay-type things. You could also jailbreak an iPad and use it as a CarPlay screen (although the info I found may be out of date). I'm on a Honda forum and there's a thread about aftermarket Android tablets that can do some of the same things.
https://www.civicx.com/threads/9-aftermarket-android-head-unit-feature-overview-installation.17034/

I doubt you'll find a mainstream device manufacturer like Garmin or TomTom who's willing to risk drawing fire from Apple by implementing CarPlay through unauthorized means (and besides, Garmin recently went with Amazon Alexa instead).

 

[archer75]

I do have an apple watch. Which does help with nav though it only works with apple maps.
And the voice button on my steering wheel does activate siri. I still just want the car made interface ultimately. And a much larger nav screen.

 

[hig561]

Check out an app called Car OS in the app store

 

[SigEp265]

Check out an app called Car OS in the app store

I looked at this app .. It seems pretty legit however it requires a monthly subscription. Does anyone know of a similar app that does not require a $$ subscription.

 

[Smirvo]

This thread is a bit old, but I’ll try to chip in.
You can use a Amazon Fire tablet with a dongle which emulates the carplay handshake with an iPhone.
Should be as an OEM-stereo

 

[sanangelohorn]

This thread is a bit old, but I’ll try to chip in.
You can use a Amazon Fire tablet with a dongle which emulates the carplay handshake with an iPhone.
Should be as an OEM-stereo

I am very interested in this. Which dongle are your referring to? I’ve seen the ones that connect via USB, does the fire Tablet have a USB port? Can you link the dongle?

 

[dontwalkhand]

Before I got a car with CarPlay, I was using only voice control for the phone. If necessary, I could go back to only using voice; CarPlay is nice, but not really required.

I'll admit, though, that specific things, like keeping awareness of nav directions, got easier when I got my Apple Watch in my pre-CarPlay days. "Which exit do I take again? *turn wrist* Ah, exit 23, okay..." But as Siri improved, even back then, I got more comfortable with leaving my phone upside-down in the cupholder, out of my sight.

I think CarPlay is more beneficial for the passenger, really. It's easy for my wife to browse music or check the map for traffic, and it's nicer with the bigger screen than a phone can offer. But as a driver, I'd be fine with only audio cues and no extra display.

ALL THAT BEING SAID...

It looks like there are tablet-based devices out there which can do CarPlay-type things. You could also jailbreak an iPad and use it as a CarPlay screen (although the info I found may be out of date). I'm on a Honda forum and there's a thread about aftermarket Android tablets that can do some of the same things.
https://www.civicx.com/threads/9-aftermarket-android-head-unit-feature-overview-installation.17034/

I doubt you'll find a mainstream device manufacturer like Garmin or TomTom who's willing to risk drawing fire from Apple by implementing CarPlay through unauthorized means (and besides, Garmin recently went with Amazon Alexa instead).

Do realize that a Honda setup is nothing but an Android tablet in the dash, just locked down. People have jailbroken their cars and gotten to the regular Android OS

 

[ipedro]

It's illegal here to use a phone while driving. At all. Even stopped at a light.
I'd also like a larger screen and apps better suited to driving. An iPad with carplay would be a stand alone device. Not useless at all. All carplay is is an interface for the car. Nothing more.

An ipad mini could work. Looks like you need the cellular version for GPS. Do you have to activate a data plan in order to use the GPS on it? I can pre-load maps or use my iphone as a hotspot. So I doubt a data plan is needed for it. I just don't want a data plan on the ipad. It also looks like there are 3rd party GPS receivers that could be connected to it via the lightning port such as bad elf. Would these work with apple or google maps or do you have to use their own custom app?

It would be great if there was an option in Settings to enable a CarPlay app on an iPhone or iPad's home screen. Tap it to go into CarPlay mode and the iPhone/iPad would adopt the simplified UI of CarPlay. It would be pretty easy to set up an iPad mini on a car console.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

I am very interested in this. Which dongle are your referring to? I’ve seen the ones that connect via USB, does the fire Tablet have a USB port? Can you link the dongle?

Agree, the kids aren’t using their Fire’s and my new to me Prius needs something!

 

[Edzson]

It would be great if there was an option in Settings to enable a CarPlay app on an iPhone or iPad's home screen. Tap it to go into CarPlay mode and the iPhone/iPad would adopt the simplified UI of CarPlay. It would be pretty easy to set up an iPad mini on a car console.

I've been searching for this exact issue. I love when I go out of town and get a car with CarPlay. Only the apps I need like phone, waze, podcasts, music, etc. are right there but when I get back in my car it's a hassle to navigate around the small and congested screens even when I know where they all are. It would be great to have a screen emulate CarPlay while driving. I know there are a few workarounds that would come close but having one screen dedicated to a few commonly used apps with large icons would be ideal.